PR Industry All At Sea Over Boaty McBoatface

The most successful PR industry campaign of recent times or an embarrassing misfire that’s left scientists with egg on their ‘boatraces’? That’s the question that many in PR circles are debating following the decision to name a research vessel after the UK’s best known naturalist rather than Boaty McBoatface – the suggestion in a popular public vote.

The campaign surrounding the naming of Britain’s Natural Environment Research Council’s new ship generated headlines around the world but the decision to abandon the popular choice was guaranteed to create something of a backlash. For PR professionals the campaign offers a fascinating topic of debate and more than a few lessons, especially when you ask the public to determine the future name of a £200 million pound ship!